The Changing of a Heart
by Fanficer21
Summary: Robin is captured and enslaved in the great city of Gotham, city-state and capitol of the Gotham Empire. Sold to various masters he learns that trust is easily broken, and even harder to bring back. How can Bruce help him gain his trust again, while he learns what it means to be a father? Rated T for various reasons inside. Please Read! It's really EPIC. *Chapter 12 is here!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire  
may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or  
the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

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**Roman Coins and Values for an ass (donkey):** as – bronze coin, basic unit of currency. dupondius – bronze coin, worth two asses. semis – bronze coin, also worth two asses. sestertius – bronze coin, worth four asses. quadrans – bronze coin, also worth four asses. denarius - silver coin, worth 16 asses. aureus – gold coin, worth 400 asses Imperial Currency ( . /article/40/).

1 gold aureus = 2 gold quinarii = 25 silver denarii = 50 silver quinarii = 100 bronze sestertii = 200 bronze dupondii = 400 copper asses = 800 copper semisses = 1600 copper quadrantes ( wiki/Denarius#Value).

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**some music to get you into the mood of the story:**  
Crusader Kings II Soundtrack - The Byzantine Empire ( watch?v=q1BiahgB6t8)  
CK2 Songs of Byzantium - Legacy of Rome ( watch?v=cEZIECMhBjs)  
Soundtrack - Gladiator - Now We Are Free (with lyric).flv ( watch?v=xButjfhZWVU)  
Gladiator - Now We Are Free (Instrumental) ( watch?v=1q_vLw3s2VU)

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I was inspired to write this after taking a class on the ancient Byzantium Empire.

Gotham is the equivalent of Rome as a city-state.

Robin is from Ainamor in the Kingdom of Romania (Ainamor is Romania spelled backwards, if you haven't already figured it out :). But Romania was also another name for the Roman Empire.

**Note 1:** Dick will go by Robin throughout this story! Just so you are all aware. I thought it sounded a little cooler, but maybe that's just me.

**Note 2:** This chapter might seem unimportant right now, but it has a purpose in later chapters. ^_^

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On with the show...

**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

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The sound of laughter filled the air with like a bell as a young boy ran on the pathways inside the confines of the garden his family owned. His ebony hair was a mess, and his bangs fell over his robin's egg blue eyes. Said eyes became fixated on a bee collecting pollen as he stopped to stare at a large, but incredibly beautiful blue rose. The blue rose was the symbol of his family's household, and his mother's favorite flower. His family were street performers who showed their dancing and acrobatic skills by day. By night Mary Grayson weaved rugs, tapestries, and even sewed dresses for the wealthier classes. John Grayson, also by night, tended the sheep with other men of their city. On a few occasions Robin would help them while he learned new skills. They lived in the city of Ainamor, a small, but populous city at the edge of the Romanian Kingdom.

"Robin! Honey, breakfast is ready." Mary called from the doorway, watching the boy jump from excitement from his position and run towards the house with a huge grin on his face. His mother just smiled as she walked back into the small house.

"Mama! Mama! Guess what! I saw a beeeeee!" The eight year old exclaimed excitedly while waving his arms in every direction making his Mary laugh. "You did! Well, we're just going to have to tell that to papa, now aren't we?" She leaned down a ruffled his hair eliciting a giggle from the boy.

"Tell me what?" A deep voice sounded behind them causing Robin's eyes to grow wide and sparkle with joy."Papa! Papa! I saw a be on Mama's flower. It was this big!" He stretched his arms sideways to their maximum capacity after running to his father. John chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair.

"What's for breakfast Mama?" John asked, standing up and walking over to his wife before giving her a peck on the lips. Robin stuck his tongue out and made the 'yuck' sound. This only caused his parents to laugh. "Oh Robin, we you grow up it won't seem so yucky." Mary snickered as she walked into the small kitchen and pulled out a small clay pot from a cabinet. "I traded three of my rugs for this pot of honey! Now we can eat breakfast like a king!" She laughed again when both John's and Robin's eyes sparkled. Their meal consisted of bread, now honey, and fruits and vegetables from the garden.

As soon as he was finished eating, Robin ran outside to play in garden again and see if he could find the bee. Both mother and father stood in the doorway watching their adorable son, and thinking what a handsome young man he would be become in years to come. Perhaps he would find a nice young woman and give them a precious grandchild. But that would be years from now, and was no use mulling it over too much because Robin was still just a child and had a long happy life ahead of him.

Or so they thought.

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Sorry this was so short. I just wanted to draw everyone in first. I promise you this story is very dramatic and tissues may be needed for various parts. Though I warn you all now! This is not for the faint of heart, because some chapters contain blood, trauma, and other things. But it also will have parts that make you cheer for the characters, as well as hate the some others.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire  
may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T

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**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 2**

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*Five years later*

A 13 year old Robin, dressed in a faded red tunic down to his knees with a belt and open toe shoes, walked through the market place carrying a cloth pouch with 2 loaves of bread. His mother had asked him to buy some more while they did their street performance. Making his way back home he stopped to watch his parents' act. In the circle of a crowd his mother danced in circles in a coined blue dress as she bellydanced to the music his father and other members of their group* as they played their lute, pan flute, flute, Tympanum (hard drum), finger symbols played by his mother as she stamped her feet to the beat, and a variety of other instruments. The crowd cheered and threw coins into a small box in front of Mary as she twirled a long ribbon cloth around her and did flips. Her long blond hair followed her every movement. At the end of her performance, she held her hands in the air with the symbols together when the music stopped. She smiled brilliantly when she saw her son in the crowd cheering her on.

Looking to her husband, who also noticed Robin, she gave him a knowing look. Both nodded with a smirk before Mary walked over to her son and grabbed his hand. She pulled him into the circle as the music began playing again. Robin was nervous, he only ever practiced at night with his mom and dad, never in public before. Taking the pouch from Robin, Mary placed it on the ground and struck a pose. She waited patiently for her son to settle his nerves and take the same pose. As the music reached its climax they both began to thrust their hips and move their stomachs to the music. Robin cackled as he danced with his mother. He soon did a few flips that awed the crowd, resulting in more coins entering the box. Without realizing that one instrument stopped playing, both mother and son were happily surprised to see John dancing right beside them. His movements were way off making them and the crowd laugh.

Suddenly, Robin found himself dancing alone as his mother and father stood in the crowd to watch their son dance beautifully. Tears reached their eyes at how fast he picked things up and followed the movements Mary showed him each night, after she finished weaving or sewing, perfectly. John was proud at how well he stuck to the beat of the music without a single falter. When the music stopped Robin struck a pose like his mother did previously and laughed before breaking the position and running into his parents' open arms. Awws filled the crowd followed by some more coins in the box as the crowd dispursed.

"If this keeps up, we'll be rich and could move to Gotham!" John joked as he ruffled Robin's hair. Mary continued to hug her son and rub his back with one hand, while stroking his hair with the other. "We're so proud of you son! You did so well! And on your first day too!" She kissed his cheek before standing up to pick up the loaves of bread while Robin hugged and playfought with the members of the band. John went to collect the box of their earnings, when he heard the sound of jingling metal. 'Crap' he thought before running to his family. Grabbing Mary's and Robin's shoulders he pushed them harshly into the shadows behind a small shop while yelling for the other musicians to take cover.

"What's wrong dad?" Robin asked quizzically. "Soldiers" John whispered as he crouched down behind some barrels with his wife and son as the shadows of ten soldiers jogged past the shop. They had to be careful not to get caught, because if they were, they could be killed or worse, slaves. And that was one thing that John did not want to happen to his family. He heard the shop keeper whispering to the soldiers and tightened his arms around his family. Mary held Robin in her arms pressing his face against her chest as she stroked his hair. Robin listened to the rapid heartbeat of his mother and the labored breathing of his father as they tried to keep quiet. After what seemed like ages, the soldiers moved on, but the Grayson's jumped when they heard the shopkeeper speak to them as he walked to the back of his stand.

"You can come out now!" He said from where he stood at the corner. John stood up first, a little apprehensive." You can trust me. They've  
left." John still stood protectively in front of Mary and Robin. "What did they want!?" He demanded, his ebony hair covered his dark eyes, making him appear more frightening.

The shopkeeper sighed before responding. "Word is that an army of soldiers is coming this way, and I don't think they're here for a  
friendly chat. It might be best if you leave as soon as possible. Head north, before they get here." The old man said, remembering the last time the city was invaded 20 years ago. It had happened when John and Mary were still children. During the last invasion, Gotham soldiers took as many people as they could, men, women, and children, and brought them to back to the city as slaves.

John nodded and ushered his family to stand up. Making their way to the man, they kept close to each other. Robin never released his hold around his mother's waist, Mary rested her arms around his shoulders. Her dress jingled as they walked. When they rounded the corner the old man walked behind them as they headed towards the exit. The sudden tinkling of armor was heard in the front of the shop making John stop dead in his tracks, and turn on his heel.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

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What do you think?

Just how I love it, getting to the plot right away!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or  
the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Rough treatment

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**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 3**

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Previously

The sudden tinkling of armor was heard in the front of the shop making John stop dead in his tracks, and turn on his heel.

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"You!" He growled, giving the man a look that could kill. Said man backed up with his hands in the air. He looked frightened by John's outburst as he grabbed the front of his tunic with both hands and spat in the man's face. "How could you!" The man only cowered behind his hands as he cried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

John growled low in his throat again and was about to choke the man but was stopped when he heard the cries of his wife and son. Turning his head, he saw that two soldiers held Mary by her arms as another held a sword to her throat. Another soldier not far away held a struggling Robin. His arms were pinned to his sides by the soldier's large arms while legs kicked in every direction as he yelled out profane words he'd heard on the street. "You've got some spirit kid. I'll bet you'd sell for a heafty sum."Hearing these word's, John's blood boiled and he kicked the man in the gut before jumping at the soldier holding his son.

"Stop right there!" A deep voice sounded followed by a gasp as the soldier's holding Mary tightened their grip and the sword was pushed harder against her neck. "Surrender, or she dies" a soldier growled, making John stop his attack in an instant. He stood and glared at the soldier before watching his wife and son struggle. Reluctantly, he raised his hands into the air with a defeated look. He wouldn't put his family in greater danger by recklessly attacking the men. Two more soldiers came around him and brought his arms behind his back where they were secured tightly by a rope. The same treatment befell Mary, while Robin was slung over one soldier's shoulder where his ankles and wrists were tightly tied together. His eyes never left his parents. In the background he could hear other citizens being attacked and bound as well.

"Let's move out!" The voice sounded, kicking the other soldiers into gear. John and Mary were pushed forward into walking with the other captives, though they kept their attention on their son in front of them who continued to kick around with bound limbs.

While walking, John remembered the money they earned from their earlier performance. He stopped and tried to turn, hoping to pay for his family's release, but the soldiers just pushed him forward with a sharp growl. "No! Wait we hav-"

"Quiet you!" A sharp slap to his face stunned John causing him to stumble before quickly righting himself. He kept his eyes on the ground for the rest of the walk. Time seemed to go by like molassess with each step until they reached the outside of the city, and what looked like a  
hundred other bound citizens huddled together as more soldiers appeared.

Looking to the horizon, John saw endless terrain of nothing. Looking back towards the city that was now becoming smaller and smaller, he knew things would forever change from this point on.

Torn from his musings, he felt Mary brush against his arm, the jingle of her dress sounded in his ears. Quiet sobs caught his attention as he felt her shake beside him. He would wrap his arms around her and comfort her, if he could. Then he found his son, laying across an ass as if he were baggage. He had grown weary from his previous struggles and lay on the donkey pathetically while it slowly followed the lead of its driver who pulled it with a long rope. John ground his teeth at the sight. How dare they treat his son with such disrespect. Walking forward, he ushered for Mary to follow him so they could be closer to Robin. They remained like that for hours. As their home disappeared, their apprehension grew with each step as they traveled farther into unknown territory.

As soon as it grew dark, the soldiers made camp pitching their tents, tying the animals, setting up watches, and gathering their captives into smaller groups. John and Mary's ropes were cut, releasing their cutting hold and allowing the blood to flow normal again. They quicky hugged and kissed each other, until they heard an "ooof". Looking towards the sound, they saw Robin laying on his side on the ground. A soldier pushed him off the donkey making him fall unceremoniously onto the hard ground before cutting him free of his bonds too. He remained where he lay because the position on the donkey caused his body to bruise. Concerned by this, both adults ran to their child where they promptly gathered him into their arms in a sort of group hug. "I'm so sorry, my little Robin! I wish this wasn't real!" Mary whispered into her son's ear while her hands stroked his hair and back. John rested his arms around his family as he laid his head on top of Mary's as they kneeled.

About half an hour later the soldiers began passing food around the small groups of prisoners, bread they raided form Ainamor. The rest of the food was divided among the soldiers where they drank wine, dined on meat, and enjoyed their spoils of conquest. Water was given to all the captives as well. Robin refusing to eat his piece of bread, placed it on his mother's lap before leaning into his father's side. "Robin, please eat. You need to keep up your strength." His mother pleaded as she placed it back into his hands. Shaking his head, he pushed it towards her again and closed his eyes while leaning his head on his father's shoulder. Mary gave John a desperate look of pleading, tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Come on Son. Just take one bite. Please!" Robin was reluctant, but he soon took a nibble of his food. "Good! Now another." John rubbed his son's arm while Mary brushed his bangs out of his face. After much coaxing, the piece of bread was completely comsumed. Both parents hugged their little boy before eating their own pieces.

That night, Robin couldn't sleep for 3 reasons. **1**. It all felt like dream that they were in this situation, one he couldn't wake up from. **2.** His chest and stomach were still sore from laying atop the donkey for several hours. and **3.** because he noticed one soldier looking at his mother with lust in his eyes. She still wore her blue bellydance dress, exposing her stomach and part of her chest. Both his parents were sound asleep at his side, so he took the liberty of giving the soldier a look that could kill. If this man wanted to get to his mother, he would have to go through him and his father first. These were his thoughts before his eyes grew heavier and heavier until they closed on their own.

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Day break arrived, shining it's blinding moring rays into the eyes of every person looking to the east. Robin's eyes moved around beneath the closed lids when the light touched his face. As soon as he saw red he opened his eyes and allowed them to flutter several times as he woke up. The sight that met him made his hopes fall, because in his dream he was back home with his family in their garden having a wonderful picnic and laughing as they played games. What he saw now was huddled groups of people. Their faces expressed their feelings of hopelessness with blood shot and tear stained eyes. How he wished this was all just a dream. Looking to his parents, he saw the same hopelessness. It broke his heart to see their eyes so empty. On the bright side though, he was glad the soldier he stared down did not try anything in the night. Getting up at the command of the soldiers, after a breakfast of more bread and water, Robin and his parents began their second day of being herded toward Gotham City. What fate would befall them when they arrived? Robin only hoped that his family could stay together.

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You like?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T

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**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 4**

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5 day walk to Gotham City-State. About 36 miles a day= at least 12 hours. About 200 miles total.

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The next three days were the same. Get up. Eat small portions of bread and water. Walk 36 miles every day. Make camp at dusk. Eat small portions of bread and water for dinner. Go to bed still hungry. Either have wonderful dreams to make the suffering go away, or have nightmares. And then wake up again.

By the time the fifth day came, the number of captives had decreased greatly due to runaways in the night who snuck past the soldiers, or the  
deaths of moslty children younger than Robin and the elderly from lack of food and the strain of walking for 12 hours non-stop, every day.  
Robin noticed that he lost a bit of weight. He could almost feel his ribs protruding beneath his skin.

It wasn't until mid-day that Robin could see what looked like an enormous city in the distance from his position atop a large hill as they were led over it. It spanned as far as the eye could see, both ways. Massive structures could be seen sticking out at random places throughout the city. An enormous fortress wall surrounded the entire megalopolis. The procession of soldiers riding their horses and pulling wagons were at the front followed by a mass of bound captives. The soldiers had bound every person again the morning they were to reach the city. Luckily, Robin was able to walk beside his parents instead of awkwardly riding a donkey again. He stuck as close to them as he could without causing them to trip.

As they neared the city, Robin felt both his parents' bodies become rigid with apprehension. He was growing more nervous with each step, but all he could do was move forward. Entering the gates, he almost stopped in his tracks when he saw the size of the buildings and statues up close. They were huge. How could people make something so large without it falling apart? He was broken from his musings when he heard people shouting rude comments towards him and the other captives. They were dressed in clean white togas, bright colored tunics, shoes, sandals, and so much more. Looking down at his own clothes and then his parents' he saw that they were faded and dirty. His mother's beautiful blue dress was now a light grey color. They were covered in sweat and grim, as well as smelly from the lack of bathing. John had grown a beard over the course of the five days.

He saw the sneers and whispered ridiculing from the citizens as they past. The captives were stopped when they reached a large building, and were divided into different groups before being pushed into said building. Upon entering, Robin noticed a number of people laying on the floor on piles of straw, while other walked around. They looked at the new groups with sympathetic faces. They knew all too well what was going to happen.

Out of nowhere large hands grabbed Robin, causing him to jump a foot in the air, before cutting the binds on his wrists. He was then pushed  
backwards where he fell onto the stone floor with a grunt, followed by another grunt.

"Ouch! Watch it dude!" A red headed boy shouted from his position on the floor beside Robin. "I'm sorry!" Robin mummbled. He looked for his parents which were no where in sight. He bolted upright and searched the area for them. "Relax dude, is that them over there." The red head asked as he pointed to an area not far away where his parents were getting their ropes cut. Robin nodded, but kept his eyes on his parents.

"I'm Wallace, by the way!" The red head said as he nudged Robin's shoulder with his finger. A grin on his face. Robin just stared at him, dumbstruck. "How can you be happy at a time like this?!" Robin growled under his breath, making the other boy put his hands in front of him in a defensive position. "Just relax. I grew up learning to see the bright side of every situation. Not sure what the bright side of this one is yet, but- Hey!" Wallace was cut off when Robin got to his feet and ran to his parents' sides, where they promptly hugged him. Wallace watched with a hint of jealousy as the new boy he just met had both his parents with him. He was living with his uncle when the soldiers came to Lartnec (Central backwards). His uncle was captured as well, but disappeared soon after. He pushed back his resentment before walking over to them.

"Hi! I'm Wallace, but I would prefer to be called Wally!" He said with a smile. Mary smiled back slightly before shaking Robin's shoulders. "Honey, why don't you introduce yourself to this nice young man. I'm Mary, and this is my husband John." John nodded before continuing his looking around for any signs of people he might recognize. Robin just shook his head. He didn't want to talk to anybody. "Honey! Come on." She shook his shoulders again.

"Robin" was his quiet reply. Wally just smirked at the boy's stubbornness. He had the feeling they would become fast friends. "Where is your family Wally?" Mary asked while looking around, however, she instantly regretted her question when his smirk fell. "I'm all alone. My uncle went missing." He replied with his head down. Tears made their way to the corners of his eyes. Suddenly a firm hand fell on his shoulder making him look up sharply. "Then why don't you stay with us!" John said softly and squeezed Wally's shoulder to comfort him. The red head only nodded in reply before following them to an open spot.

"So what is going on here?" John asked as he nodded his head towards the others in the building as they all sat. Wally's face became serious before answering. "This is an auction house. Soldiers bring people in and sell them when there are enough captives. People will pay good money for slaves. Especially those who have good trades, like cooking, smithing, or something else. It's scary how much people want slaves. I got here two days ago. I just hope I'm sold to someone who isn't a brute."

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That night Wally and Robin talked about many things while John and Mary slept. They were all nervous about tomorrow. Would they be sold together? or seperately? Robin hated the thought of being someone else's property. He was a free bird, and now he was about to be put into a cage.

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Like?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or  
the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Man-handling and death.

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**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 5**

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Morning came too quickly for Robin when he was kicked awake. Hands grabbed his arms and yanked him off the floor, roughly standing him up. He saw that Wally and his parents had the same treatment. They were roughly hauled out of the building and into a small one in the back where steam poured out of the open windows. John, Robin, and Wally were shoved into one end. While Mary was shoved into the other. Not sure what was happening, Robin tried to say something to his father, but squeaked when someone grabbed his shoulders and tore his clothes off before dumping scalding hot water on him and scrubbed him down harshly until his skin felt raw, he felt completely violated. John and Wally had the same treatment done to them at the same time. Robin was then pulled backwards and a large piece of cloth was wrapped around his waist like a towel. He was then pushed out of the building and onto a platform where his mother was currently standing. She too was covered in a towel like cloth. A sign laid around her neck that said '5,000 denarii (approx. 200 gold aureus).'

Robin barely heard the man asking him questions as he stared at the sign his mother bore. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real. He want to pinch himself to make sure it was just a dream, but he knew that wouldn't work. The sound of stumbling feet broke his thoughts when John and Wally were shoved onto platform. He looked at them, unable to speak until he felt a rope being laid across his neck. Looking down he saw his sign. '1,500 denarii (approx. 60 gold aureus).'

Everyone was pushed towards the edge of the platform when more captives were brought out. John and Mary, being the closest to the edge looked down and cringed at the distance between them and the ground. In front of them were what looked like hundreds of well dressed men and women in togas and elegant dresses, as well as what Robin thought were their slaves in plain tunics or dresses. He looked at this feet as they analyzed him and the others, making him feel exposed. He hated their scrutinizing looks. He was quickly broken from his thoughts when he heard multiple foot steps as people walked up the large ramp followed by the gasps of multiple captives being inpected.

Feet suddenly appeared in Robin's vision followed by a firm hand grabbing his chin and jerking his head upwards to look into the eyes of an older man. His head was turned from side to side, before his mouth was forced open to which Robin tried to bite the man's hand as he scowled. However, said man just let him go and pushed him backwards with a grunt. "Nice job!" Wally elbowed his arm with a smirk causing Robin to smirk too. Robin watched as a few people surveyed his parents. They felt his father's muscles, his jaw, knees, and feet. His mother had people feeling her up, making Robin's and John's blood boil as they ground their teeth and narrowed their eyes. Robin, about to shout and attack the people, was suddenly grabbed by another person with an even stronger grip than the previous man. He let out a pained moan when the man grabbed his hair and yanked his head to face him. Said man had black hair, black eyes, and a creepy look to him which made Robin shiver slightly. Seeing this, the man let a grin spread across his face.

"My, my, you're a pretty one!" He said while turning Robin's face side to side, then looking at the rest of his body. "Your skinny, perfect! And not a bad price either!" The man grinned before letting go of Robin's face and held up a bag of coins, shaking it to attract the attention of the  
auctioneers. Robin jerked his head to look at his parents with scared eyes. Eyes also wide with fear, they jumped out of their inspectors' reach and moved to grab their son when an auctioneer came to stand beside the man who just gave him the money.

"No!" John and Mary yelled grabbing hold of their son. Wally tried to break free of the people looking him over, but they were too strong. He resorted to shouting awkwardly from his pried open mouth. "Move back filth!" This one's mine now!" The man yelled as he grabbed a bunch of Robin's hair and pulled him out of his parent's grasp with a cry of pain. They tried to take Robin back, but the man quickly put his foot on John's stomach and forcefully shoved him backward towards the edge. John toppled over and fell into Mary. A few people tried to grab them to stop them from falling, Robin included. But the last thing Robin saw before they fell over the edge were his parents' wide eyes and his mother's voice whispering "Robin".

"No!" Robin shouted as he fought to get out of the man's grasp, but stopped when he heard a sickening 'crunch'. Tears fell from his eyes and his legs grew weak before he fell onto his knees. The man's hand suddenly left his hair. He slowly crawled to the edge where he hesitantly looked down at the sight before him. Hands flying to his mouth, he let out a muffled wail seeing his mother and father laying in a pile of jumbled limps, blood surrounding their heads. Wally was at his side in an instant, wrapping his arms around the sobbing boy.

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"Time to go boy!"

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To Be Continued...

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Now things start to get interesting!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Abuse

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**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 6**

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Previously

"Time to go boy!"

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Robin sat for what felt like hours, when in reality it was less than a minute. He hardly registered the arms of Wally squeezing his shoulders, trying to comfort him. Or even the large hand that grabbed his hair again and pulled him up. He felt numb, inside and out. Looking foward, but focuing on nothing. Following the lead of the man, he walked down the ramp. He didn't even hear the cries that Wally shouted as he widened the distance between them. Stopping at a table, he felt hands take the rope off his neck and heard the question: "What is your name sir?" Followed by "Antonius Zuccos".

o0o

Silent tears continued to make their way down his cheeks when he was lead into a large house. However, he was then lead out to the back  
where a small shed stood beside a large garden. Opening the door, Antonius shoved the boy into the small structure before locking the door.  
Robin just curled up on the floor and cried himself to sleep that night. Images of his parents, his home, his garden, and the members of their band filled his dreams.

o0o

Light shined through the cracks of the shed as Robin opened his eyes. The musty smell filled his nose, making him sneeze. "Mom." He mumbled while sitting up and rubbing his eyes. However, the realization of yesterday's event flew back into his mind and he fell backwards onto the floor again, tears fell down his cheeks again as soft cries escaped his lips.

The sound of the door being unlatched and opened made him jump and curl up in the corner. His head burined in his knees. A soft gasp filled his ears causing him to look up. An older woman possibly in her 30s was kneeling in front of him. She had dark brown hair trailing down her back and over one shoulder, and her eyes, a light greenish blue. A sad look covered her features. "You poor child! How could he do this!" She spat towards the door before looking back at Robin. "My name is Livia. What's yours child?" she asked lovingly, attempting to comfort the boy.

"Robin" he responded quietly. He rubbed the tears from his ears as he sniffed until a hand softly grabbed his. "You have beautiful eyes." She smiled at him causing the boy to crack a tear filled smile too. "I h-have my m-m-moth-er's e-eyes..." he buried his head into his knees as more tears came.

"Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-" She was cut off when they heard a growling voice. "Woman! Where are you?"

Livia jumped to her feet and rushed out of the shed. Robin crawled to the door and peeked out. He was just in time to see the man slap Livia in the face. Her cheek was red where she cupped it with her hand. Tears were in the corners of her eyes. Robin quickly went back to the corner and was about to curl up again, until the man came into the structure.

"Get up boy!" Antonius kicked Robin in the leg as Robin stared at him with tearful eyes. He was afraid of this man. "I said get up! Don't make me whip you you little nobody!"

"Master! He's just a child!" Livia screamed from where she stood outside. "You hold your tongue woman!" Antonius shouted before stomping out and another slap was hurt followed by a yelp. Robin scramble to his feet and ran to the door. He didn't want Livia to suffer because of him. "There's a good nobody! Now come here!" The man growled. Looking at Antonius, then Livia, Robin walked forward. His jaw was clenched and his hands fisted as he stopped in front of the man.

"Now, I can't be seen in public again with you looking like that. Woman, clean him up and give him new clothes." With that, he walked back into the house. "Follow me Robin." Livia said quietly, her hand still on her swollen cheek. She led him into the house and to a small bathtub. The room was open and Robin felt exposed with the lack of privacy. "I trust you can wash yourself. I'll be back with new clothes." She said after filling the tub with steaming water. As soon as she left, Robin made sure the man wasn't anywhere in sight before he got out of the towel like fabric he wore from the auction house and tried to get in the water. To his chagrin however, it was really hot. Hearing footsteps coming, he quickly made up his mind and jumped into the water with a yelp.

"You'll learn to get used to it" Livia said pointing to the water. "Here are your new clothes. I'll be in the garden, so call me when you are finished. Oh, and the master is gone. He left to do some stuff in town, so you don't have to worry about your privacy." She said with a hint of a smile before giving Robin a wash cloth and then left.

o0o

Once he was finished bathing he quickly changed into his new clothes, a white tunic going down to his knees, a pair of sandles, and a belt to wrap around his waist. He decided to find Livia instead of calling her. He found her in the garden picking flowers and humming to herself.

"That's a nice tune." Robin said behind her making her jump and almost throw the flowers. "The master doesn't like it, so I do it when he isn't around." She responded with a smile despite her swollen cheek. Looking at her sadly, Robin touched her cheek gently making her gasp. "You remind me of someone. He always tries to find the good in every situation. What good is coming from this one?" Robin grumbled, but stopped when he saw Livia genuinely smile. "Well...I was able to meet you! I don't want to sound rude, but I'm happy that you're here. It won't be so lonely anymore." Tears came to Robin's eyes at the thought of his parents, yet he was greatful he had someone to talk to.

"I can understand why your friend looks for the good in everything. It makes the hard times just a little easier to bare." She smiled while ruffling Robin's hair. Her hand stopped suddenly while she gave him a thoughtful look. "I think a haircut would do you some good." Leading him back into the house, she dunked his, now mostly dry hair, back into the tub. Then sitting him down on a chair, she stood behind him and cut his hair with a pair of shears.

"Robin, whey were in the auction house?" She asked as she cut another section of hair. Robin remained quiet for a minute, before telling her the story. When he finished, she dropped the shears on the floor and hugged him from behind. Her head rested upon his shoulder as they cried together. "I'm so sorry!" Her tears fell onto his tunic as she squeezed him tighter into her chest. They stayed like that for a few more minutes before they dried their tears. Picking up the shears once more, she cut the last bunch of hair before brushing the loose strands from his shoulders.

Robin, come here!" She exclaimed with a laugh standing beside a table where she held a small mirror. Robin, getting up from the chair looked at all the hair on the floor. He hadn't realized that it grew so much since his mother last cut it. Feeling his scalp, he was surprised at how short it was. He looked into the mirror and almost didn't recognize himself. His hair was cut close to his scalp, but sill long enough to be messy. He was greatful that Livia held the mirror, because it would have hit the floor if he did. The Robin's egg blue eyes stood out so much more now. Unable to hold his excitment anymore, he hugged Livia, after she put the mirror down. "Thank you! Livi" was his muffled appreciation.

"Livi. I like that, Rob!" She ruffled his hair as they both laughed before they quickly emptied the tub and rounded up the loose hair on the floor. Just as they finished cleaning up, they heard the master's footsteps. He entered the room with the usual bark of orders or the ever present words of (un)encouragment.

"Well, looks like you can do something right!" He said inspecting Robin from the doorway. Livia's eyes were downcast as she stared at the floor. "Come here nobody!" Antonius demanded. Robin complied, begrudgingly, and stopped in front of the man. Said man grabbed his jaw and moved his head side to side again. "This will have to do. Woman, I expect food to be ready in a hour. Come nobody." Antonius orderd as he left the room. Robin spared a glance backwards at Livia. He gave her a smile, that was contagious and formed on her lips as well.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Did I succeed in making you hate Tony Zucco?


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Blood. Abuse.

o0o

**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 7**

o0o

Robin was led into the city to go who knows where, but he enjoyed the scenery as he walked. The many shops and venders caught his attention as they entered the market, reminding him of home. But, made it hard to keep up with the master. Finally reaching their destination, he was led into a small alleyway behind a shop. The sudden memory of him and his parents hiding behind the shop in Ainamor hit him. They should not have trusted that man!

"This him?" A deep voice asked from the shadows stopping Robin in his tracks. "Best I could do in short notice." Antonius replied. Out of the  
shadows appeared two scary looking men. One had a scar over one eye. The other had a missing ear and hand. They scowled at Robin as their eyes trailed up and down his body, which made him feel super uncomfortable.

"Time to get started nobody. Hide behind that shop there" he said pointing to a jewelry stand "when they start a commotion, you are going to grab as many of those jewels as you can. Got it?" Robin stared at him, dumbfounded. He wanted him to steal? He was taught to never steal, and he wasn't about to start now. So he stood their defiantly and glared at Antonius. To his unsurprise, he recieved a sharp slap to the face almost knocking him over. "You will listen you little nobody, or its the lash to your back!" Still being defiant, Robin glared through the tears in his eyes. He would stand his ground for as long as he could. He would not allow himself to sink to their level. However, his prize was another slap to the face followed by a kick to his stomach, knocking the air out of him.

"This was the best you could do? What a joke!" The men sneered and started to walk away, despite Antonius's protests. Getting to his feet, Robin saw the look that could kill on the master's face. He knew he was in big trouble. So doing the only thing he could, he ran. He ran out of  
alley and into the hussle and bussle of the street, Antonius close behind. Weaving his way through the crowd using the dancing skills his mother taught him gained him a good lead while the master was bumping and ramming into everybody, slowing him down. Robin continued to run, until he suddenly bumped into somebody making him fall on his butt with a grunt. Looking up he saw a well dressed man in a toga looking down at him, a look of confusion on the man's face. He reached down to help Robin up, but only caused the boy to flinch with his eyes shut tightly. When no strike came, he opened his blue eyes to see the man looking sadly at him. He just stared at the man, until he heard the master's growls getting closer. Jumping to his feet with a look of panic, he bolted back down street leaving a suspicious man behind.

Antonius growled as he neared the spot Robin occupied moments before. The man was still there, but this time his eyes were on Antonius as he looked around feriously. "What are you looking for?" The man asked, before glancing in the direction the boy ran off in.

"None of your business!" Antonius replied. "What are you looking for?" Bruce asked again with narrowed eyes this time, making Antonius back up with a gulp. "M-My slave ran off on me. That little *censorship alert* is going to get a lashing when I find him." He mumbled the last part, but Bruce still heard it with his trained ears. "Little boy, black hair? I thought I saw him go that way." Bruce pointed in a different direction from where Robin actually was. Nodding to the man, Antonius ran off in the specified direction. Bruce only smirked before going about his business again.

o0o

Robin made it to the house in record time, and found Livia in the kitchen preparing vegetable salad, and some sort of porridge. She saw him run past the doorway and quickly went to follow him. "Robin! What's wrong?" She yelled after him, following him into the garden. She found him huddled in a corner beneath a tree. A look of terror on his face. "I-I made him a-angry!" Was all he said. Understanding, Livia grew panicked and tried to find a better place for him to hide before the master got home.

Too late! For at that time, they both heard breaking pottery and shouts of rage as the master stormed into the house. He realized too late that the man at the market sent him to a dead end. Livia quickly shoved Robin behind a bush to block him for sight.

"Where is he? Where is that little..." Antonius bellowed. Livia could only stare with wide eyes as her mouth opened and shut, resulting in him slapping her face. This time she was knocked to the ground with a yelp. He then proceeded to kick her in the stomach and chest eliciting cries of pain from the woman. Robin's blood boiled as he watched. Not being able to take it, any longer, he stood up and yelled at the man.

"Stop it! Stop it! I'm right here!" The man turned around and Robin flinched at the sadistic look in his eyes as he made his way over to Robin.  
Grabbing Robin's hair he pulled the boy backwards until his back was pressed the wall. A sharp kick to his stomach made him fall to the ground with a gasp. Then Antonius dragged him over to another tree and tightly bound Robin's wrists over a branch above his head, making it so only Robin's toes barely touched the ground. The back of his tunic was torn in half exposing his delicate skin. Tears formed in the corners of the boy's eyes when he heard Livia begging the master to stop.

The sound of a whip cracking followed by Robin's and Livia's screams filled the air while the master laughed. The pain was intense when the lash of whip cut into his skin causing blood to stain his tunic and the ground beneath him. His fingers dug into the branch so hard the tips started to bleed. Tears made their way down his cheeks as he bit his lip causing it to leave a trail of blood running down his chin. With each crack of the whip, he cried even more than the last. "No one makes a fool of me!" Antonius shouted with another swing of his arm.

"Please! S-Stop!" Livia cried again as she tried to get up "STOP IT!" Robin's feet stopped supporting him after the 18th lash causing him to  
hang while the whipping continued despite Livia's efforts. Antonius continued to laugh maniacally and wasn't satisfied until he struck the 30th lash. Walking over to Robin he whispered into the boy's ear evilly. "Cross me again and I'll kill you!" He then cut the bonds on Robin's wrists,  
making him fall the ground with a thump, before leaving the garden. Robin shook where he lay, the pain was so terrible it hurt to move.

"Robin! Robin!" Livia cried as she dragged herself over to the boy. She didn't care that her clothes had blood stains as she continued her way up to Robin. Once there she wrapped her arm around his head and planted tearful kisses on his forehead. "I'm sorry Robin. I'm so sorry!" she weeped as he moaned from the tenderness of his back. Slowly sitting up, she tore the top of Robin's tunic off and used it to try and stop the bleeding, but only caused him to scream in agony. "Forgive me Robin" She whispered as she pressed harder.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

What do you think of Livia? Don't worry Bruce will show up lots more in a few chapters, then we will all see Big Daddy arise (Not Nicholas Cage).


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Blood. Abuse. Death.

o0o

**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 8**

o0o

Robin awoke to a pain in his back. The sound of humming broke him from his groggy state causing him to shift slightly. He tried to stretch, but only caused him more pain. "Uggghh!" He moaned when a warm, wet cloth was placed upon his back, followed by fingers gently brushing through his hair.

"How are you feeling? Is the water working?" Livia asked sweetly as she removed the cloth and and put it back into the bowl beside her. She then squeezed it softly before placing it back onto the red cuts covering the boy's back. "Sore..." Was Robin's mumbled response.

"You were out for 2 days. I've been using herb water to soothe and heal your cuts, though they will scar." She replied with teary eyes. Robin was quiet for a few minutes, as if he was mulling over a tough question. "Livi?"

"Yes Rob?" She brushed his bangs down his forehead, waiting for his answer. "Why are you here? I-In this aweful house...Why are you a...slave?" He asked looking into her eyes from his position on the floor. Smiling sadly, Livia trailed her fingers over his forehead and down his nose. "I was the oldest of 5 children. My father didn't have the money to pay his debts, so he sold me instead...that was 20 years ago."

"Y-you were youger than me! How could that-" Livia cut off Robin's rant as he tried to sit up despite the pain it caused. He got to his knees when Livia grabbed his bare shoulders and gently pushed him back down. Replacing the wet cloth. "Relax Robin. You'll heal faster if you don't move. It happened a long time ago. I'm over it now. Please just rest little brother."

Robin smirked at her calling him her 'little brother'. "Thanks big sis!" He said with a laugh, only to hitch his breath and clench his jaw at the pain.

o0o

For the next week Livia would tend to Robin's back for a few hours everyday. Meanwhile Antonius grew more angry with each passing day because Robin wasn't healing any faster and he had places to go, things to steal. Sometimes he wondered if he should just kill the boy and get a new slave.

At the beginning of the second week Robin was back on his feet, but he was afraid to be near the master, especially alone. Every time Antonius entered the room or garden, Robin's body would become tense. He flinched everytime he accidentally did something wrong, because he was always rewarded with a form of assault, whether it be a slap, punch, or kick. There were a few times that he even flinched when Livia would ruffle his hair.

Life in that house continued as it would everyday. Antonius would take Robin out and make him steal stuff from vendors, to which the boy did out of fear. His dancing and acrobatic skills greatly helped him to grab precious jewelry without being detected. This continued for a month, until one fateful day when Robin made a big mistake.

o0o

"Get out here boy!" Antonius growled from outside the house. Robin who was scrubbing the floor, quickly got up and ran to the door. "Good boy! You know the routine." The man spoke with a look of superiority on his face. Robin just nodded before leaving the confines of the house and standing beside the man. Livia had tried to the master to stop using Robin for his own gain, but he only slapped her everytime she spoke out on the issue.

Walking down the street, Robin spared a glance back at the house. Livia was in the doorway watching her little brother disappear into the crowd. Robin had an uneasy feeling. His mother always told him to listen to the feelings if something didn't seem right. And right now they were telling him to get back into the house and away from Antonius. He was broken from his reverie when he bumped into the master's back when the man stopped. "Watch it you little *censorship alert*!" Said man growled before turning into an alley, Robin close behind. Pointing to one street vendor in particular the man demanded that Robin steal from another jewelry vender just around the corner. Robin hesitantly nodded before inching his way forward. He hid in the shadows behind the shop and watch reaching for an emerald necklace with seven stones chained together. He almost had in his grasp when he noticed a familiar red head walking down the street. The seconds he should have been using to grab the necklace and go were wasted. He looked at the necklace then back at the street, he breathing stopped when he saw the same man he accidentally ran into weeks before. Said man was looking this way. Looking at him with narrowed eyes.

Robin panicked as he bolted backwards and into Antonius who came forward to see what was taking so long. He growled when he felt the  
boy's impact. Seeing nothing in the boy's hands, he grabbed Robin's wrist and dragged him back into the alley before slamming him against the stone wall. Robin turned his head towards the street and away from the man breathing down his neck. "Why didn't you take anything?"

Tears coming to Robin's eyes, he squeaked out his response. "H-He saw me!" "Well you wouldn't have been caught if you didn't stand there like the *censorship alert* you are!" Getting fed up with the verbal assault, Robin's mind filled with rage, before thrusting his knee into Antonius's family jewels. He took his chance to run as soon as the man fell back grabbing his unmentionables and giving the boy a look that could kill twice. The boy ran through the streets as fast as he could without looking back. Tears were in his eyes as he thought of what the master would do this time. Trying not to think about it, he pushed on. Upon reaching the house he searched for Livia. Finding her in the garden he grabbed her hand and ran towards the front door.

"Robin, what is it? What's wrong?" She saw the look of terror on his face when he looked back at her. "We need to get out of here! Now! Come with me Livi. Please!" He screamed causing her to shake with fear. "Oh no! Robin, you didn't-" She was cut off by the sound of Antonius snarling in the doorway. He held a large dagger in his hand and eyed Robin evilly before stepping forward. "It's time you learned your place, slave. In the dirt!" Robin's and Livia's eyes grew wide before Robin turned around and bolted away from the man, dragging Livia behind him. They had just reached the garden when Robin felt something plow into him, pinning him to the wall. He felt Livia's hand being torn from his before hearing a yelp and Livia fall onto the ground. A firm hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around so his back was pressed against the wall. He was frozen with fear at the sight of Antonius holding the dagger above his head before thrusting it towards the boy. He cried as he closed his eyes, waiting for the blade to pierce his heart.

Then he felt it, an impact into his side causing him to fall to the ground sideways followed by a grunt. Opening his eyes, his world shattered for a second time upon seeing Livia standing in his place. The dagger's hilt rested upon her chest. Antonius stood still, his eyes wide at the sight. "NO!" Robin cried scrambling to his feet.

"Robin, run." Livia cried softly, before taking a few struggled breaths. "RUN!" She screamed this time, but Robin couldn't move. Everything around him stopped as he watched his sister's eyes close as she fell to the ground. Bending down, the man pulled the dagger from her heart.

"Look what you did boy!" Antonius bellowed before charging Robin. His instincts kicked into overdrive as his body took control and he ran through the house and out the door as fast as he could. Tears poured down his cheeks and took flight as he charged like a mad bull. He didn't care where he was going, just so long as he got away from the enraged man. Pushing forward, he didn't see the man around the corner and into an alley as he flew blindly.

"Whoa there little boy! Now why all the tears?" The man with black hair and green eyes asked as he held onto Robin's shoulders after he plowed into the man. Shaking in the man's hold, Robin tried to get away, but the grip was too firm. "H-He k-killed her!" He sobbed into his hands. However, as soon as he heard a pair of feet running his way and a snarl he struggled in the man's hold, begging to be let go. "H-He's going t-to k-kill me!" The man's eyes narrowed before pulling Robin behind him.

"Stop right there mister! What's this all about a killing?" The man asked as Antonius rounded the corner. Antonius stopped in his tracks when he saw the man protecting his slave. "Give him here! He going to sleep in the dirt when I'm through with him!" Antonius demanded, but the other man just raised an eyebrow.

"Or we can make a deal. You want him gone. I'm in need of a new slave." The man grind while jingling a pouch of money. "I've got 3,000 denarii in here. Take it or leave it." Robin cowered behind his savior's back as he watched Antonius look between him and the pouch. With a growl, he ripped the pouch out of the man's hand. "If I ever see you again, your dead!" He growled before disappearing around the corner.

o0o

To Be Continued...

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The next chapter might take a few days to finish, but I'll post it as soon as I'm done.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or  
the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Blood. Death. Sensual activity.

o0o

This took me quicker to write than I previously thought! I would to thank all those who commented, favorited, and followed this story. I didn't think it was going to turn out so great, you made my day with how much you guys like it.

o0o

**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 9**

o0o

Previously

With a growl, he ripped the pouch out of the man's hand. "If I ever see you again, your dead!" He growled before disappearing around the corner.

o0o

Robin breathed out a sigh. The tears slowed down, leaving dried streaks down his cheeks. He was glad Antonius was out of the picture, but he mourned that Livia was gone. Suddenly the man turned around, a smirk on his face as he examined Robin. "You'll do quite well. And just look at those pretty eyes of yours" Robin once again had to endure his head being turned from side to side. "Ready to go?" "Yes" Robin mumbled.

"Yes what!" The man's smirk did a 180 and suddenly became a scowl. Robin looked into the man's eyes with fear and squeaked out "Master".

"Altogether now!" The man motioned with his hand as if directing music. "yes master" Robin mumbled. "What was that? I didn't hear what you said". "Yes Master!" Robin said louder, making the man dance with glee. "Good! Now let's go home and introduce you to the Mistress and the pets". The man placed his hand on Robin's upper back and pushed him forward. They exited the alley and went into the crowd. Robin remained quiet the entire way, while the man yacked about anything and everything.

They soon entered a large house, similar to Antonius's. "Sweetie, I'm home!" The man shouted into the house while striking a funny pose. Robin couldn't help but think 'What a nut'.

"Oh puddin' your back early. Did you find a good one?" A high feminine voice sounded from nowhere in particular. "Why don't you see for yourself!" He laughed before grabbing Robin's shoulder's and yanking him in front of him. He then put his index fingers into Robin's mouth and made him smile. "You should really smile more. Your too serious!" He said while looking down at Robin with a creepy visage. "Oh Rekoj! You shouldn't have!" A shrill laugh caused Robin to cringe as a blonde woman with blue eyes entered the room. Her hair was in pigtails. Tears came to the corners of Robin's eyes, she looked so much like his mother. "Yelrah, meet our little boy!" Rekoj cackled as he removed his fingers from the boy's mouth before tousling Robin's hair.

Yelrah ran up to Robin and pulled him into a strong hug, cutting off his breathing for a few seconds. "Welcome home little guy! We're going to have so much fun with you. You have a name?"

"Robin" The boy answered, feeling a little awkward with these people. They quickly gave him a tour of the house, and then te followed them to the garden. Just as he turned the corner he screamed and jumped back into the man when two hyenas growled and laughed at him. "Oh don't mind them. They won't hurt you, much." Rekoj laughed hysterically before dragging a scared Robin back into the house. "And this is your room" the man said as they entered a small room with a bed where he promptly threw the boy onto it. "You get to work here and get free room and board. Get it 'free', because your a slave. You don't get paid. Isn't that just hilarious!" He chortled from where he stood wiping a tear from his eye. Robin just glared at him, this man was crazy. "Oh why the sour face. Are you not happy to be here? Or would you rather be dead!" Rekoj leaned in close to Robin and grabbed his neck before shoving him backwards onto the bed. "Because I could arrange that!" He smiled as he squeezed the boy's neck, watching in delight as the boy struggled to get free.

Rekoj quickly released his grip and watched as the boy struggled to breath. The look of fear on Robin's face sent shivers down his spine, the man thought as he reached towards the boy once again, only to see him flinch and try to roll away. Smiling he got up from the bed and walked to the doorway. "A word of advice little boy, it's best to stay on my good side, because I can get really crazy." Robin looked at the man with teary eyes. He remained on the bed for the rest of the night and thought of everything that has happened within the last month. The death of his parents, the death of Livia, Antonius's cruel punishments, and now he was in a house of crazy people who switched moods as fast as a fly changes direction in its flight. With these thoughts he cried himself to sleep.

o0o

"Wake up little boy! We've got a big day ahead of us, no use eating breakfast. Let's go!" Rekoj said as he bounced on the bed before grabbing hold of Robin's wrist and dragged the boy off the bed as he ran to the door. "Bye pooh!" Rekoj yelled happily while leaving the house. "Knock 'em dead kid!" Was her reply before the door was slammed shut. He was really confused, just where were they going? Torn from his thoughts, he noticed that Rekoj had dragged him to a part of town he had never seen before. The street and and structures looked old and ghostlike. He was then led into an abandoned building where he heard muffled shouts. They came to a closed door and a sudden mass of yells filled their ears. Opening the door Rekoj burst through it and pulled the boy behind him. "Come along Robby poo!

The room they were met with was filled with the backs of men and women who watched something (like a non-existant football game). "Ah! Rekoj, you got another one I see. Hope this one puts up a longer fight than the last one!" A tall, buff man laughed followed by howls from other men in the vicinity as they mocked Rekoj. Said man's blood boiled. He grabbed Robin's shoulder so hard it caused the boy to cry out in pain, making Rekoj grin.

"You see little boy, this is where daddy works and soon you're gonna help me earn some money. Especially since I gave half of it to that other  
guy!" Rekoj shouted over the audience's yells as they walked further into the room. The 'other guy', Robin knew, referred to Antonius. When they arrived at a part in the crowd lacking bodies, Robin saw two men fighting in a small arena below the crowd. His blood froze when he saw they were covered in blood. Red stains littered the floor. Fresh sticky blood, as well as old blood turning brown. Suddenly one man grabbed the other before throwing him to the floor and jumping on him, causing a loud crack to fill the room as the man's shoulder broke. A sword was then thrown from the crowd and into the arena, when the man picked it up and held it in the air the crowd went wild. The other man laying on the floor tried to get up when the man with the sword came closer to him, a wicked smile on his face. Robin turned his head with closed eyes before he heard the sword pierce the fallen man's body followed by the entire audience screaming for joy. This cause the boy to back up and grab a piece of Rekoj's toga and lean against him. The man, while taking to another, ruffled the boy's hair.

Opening his eyes again, Robin saw the man covered in blood exit the arena where he was patted on the back by the people surrounding him. Smiles on their faces, while the dead man was carried out. What was this place? He was torn from his thoughts when he felt himself being pushed out the door. "Well, now that that's taken care of. I think it's time for some food. Wouldn't you say little boy!" Robin couldn't get the sight of the bloody men out of his head, and lost his appetite. He hoped he wouldn't have to go back there.

o0o

A week had passed since Robin had been to the abandoned part of town. Things were okay at first. His new master's were so nice to him, and they spent time together playing games and all that jazz. He even noticed himself humming the tune that Livia always made when she was happy. Yet, he also noticed a few strange things happening as well, with Rekoj in particular.

One morning while feeding the hyenas that were kept tied up in garden, Robin felt a pair of hands push him towards the beasts resulting in one of them biting his leg making the boy scream and writhe in pain before the hyena was commanded to let go. Through his cries he heard the sadistic laughter of the man vanish into the house. It took a few weeks for his leg to heal, because the beast dug it's fangs all the way to the bone. Though his skin healed up, the bone was still sore, especially when he overworked it, which caused him to limp for another week after that.

o0o

A few days afterward, Rekoj announced that tomorrow would be the day that Robin would help him earn some money in that old dump of a building. Earlier that morning Rekoj had been thinking of ways to mark Robin as his slave. Some had earings or tatoos, but the man wanted to go a step beyond and do something much more his style, something crazy. Then it hit him! With an evil smile he tossed an iron poker stick for the fire into the flames of the fireplace, then waited for the boy to finish scrubbing one of the floors in the house.

When Robin finished the floor, he went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Yelrah had gone out to walk her babies, the hyenas, so she wouldn't be back for a least a few hours. Not seeing Rekoj hiding in the corner, him being surprised was an understatement when he was pushed to the ground and fell on his back beside the hearth. Rekoj was there in an instant. Straddling the boy's hips, he grabbed hold of Robin's tunic and with a jerk he ripped the boy's fabric open. The heat of the fire washed over his exposed chest and navel. Robin's eyes resembled a moose in the headlights. Rekoj struggled to hold the boy's arms above his head with one hand while gliding his hand along Robin's chest as if searching for a tender spot. Stopping at the place where Robin's heart beat beneath his hand, Rekoj released a dark smirk as he leaned over and grabbed a cool part of the poker stick. Robin's eyes followed the man's hand and grew bigger before he struggled to get out of the man's grasp as the fiery hot metal came closer and closer.

"No!" Robin cried when he felt the heat from the stick while it hung above his body as he continued to struggle in place. Then it fell. The metal was so hot that it felt like a piece of an iceburg touching his skin causing the boy to scream as his back arched off the ground. Tears sprang to his eyes and fell down his temples when the man dragged the stick across his chest, drawing the letter the 'R' and leaving burned and bloody flesh in its wake. Rekoj laughed the entire time, loving the expression of unbearable suffering on the boy's face. When he finished the letter, he threw the poker onto the floor and inspected his handy work by tracing the letter with his fingers while Robin's labored breathed caused his chest to rise and fall rapidly. Rekoj's fingers continued down the boy's stomach and drew circles around his navel. Robin's body shook beneath the man, partly because the pain was so terrible and also because the was scared of the man above him.

Eying the branded skin once more, Rekoj patted Robin's cheek before leaning in and breathed at the crook of the boy's neck."Now you are officially mine little boy!" Robin remained on the floor, silent tears continued to make a puddle beneath his head while Rekoj trailed kisses along the boy's neck and collarbone. He didn't dare move lest he cause more pain, but inside he was screaming. Wanting the man to stop and leaved him alone.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Betcha ya can't guess who Rekoj and Yelrah are!

Don't worry, Robin wasn't raped!

Bruce will make his debut in the next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:**This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Blood. Fighting. And more non-existent swear words.

o0o

**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 10**

o0o

Please enjoy!

o0o

"Meeting ajurned." Said the head of the Senator meeting, allowing the men to stand up and stretch. Some cracked their backs with a satisfying sigh. Bruce made his way to the door, he didn't remember a single thing from the meeting since his mind wandered...again. His thoughts went to Alfred's cooking, what he would see next time he took a walk to the market, and sometimes...sometimes he thought of the  
boy with ebony hair and bright blue eyes that he had seen in the market twice. He looked so afraid when they first met. It hurt Bruce to see the boy flinch when he wanted to help him, but then he remembered feeling suspicion and anger when he saw the man chasing said boy.

And then the second time he saw the boy in the market was when he strolled down the street with his newest slave, a certain red head who didn't know when to shut up. But the boy would often talk about another boy he met at the auction house, and that he needed to find and take him away from his master. Bruce thought it was noble of him to want to help his friend, but things just weren't that easy. By the red head's description, he wondered if this ebony he met was the same boy. So when he saw the blue eyed boy again in the shadows behind a jewelry vender, he looked at the boy carefully and taking in his appearance to match the description. He was impressed by how well the boy hid in the shadows, in fact Bruce almost didn't see him.

He thought of the way the boy's eyes widened in fear and backed up into the same man he saw chasing him before. Narrowing his eyes, he  
watched as the man dragged the ebony into the alley and pinned him against the wall. The boy's face turned towards the street with a look of fear. But then he smiled when said boy freed himself by kneeing the man's unmentionables and watched as he ran down the street. The boy could take care of himself, Bruce thought as he continued his way down the street.

Back to reality, Bruce had to get ready for a date with a prestigious woman who asked him out. She was a little strange, but Bruce wasn't about to pass up a hot date. He was letting her pick the place tonight. She told him to dress like a normal citizen bacuse she wanted to go someplace they could have fun without his status as a Senator getting in the way. He just hoped it wouldn't be awkward or boring. Making his way back to his enormous house, he had his servant Alfred prepare him for the evening. Originally, Alfred was a slave, but Bruce didn't like the term. So he called the older man a servant and even paid him for his work. It was the same with Wally, the little red head. After Alfred brought him home he was no longer a slave. When he was finally ready, he headed towards the city center.

o0o

Blue eyes opened to the sound of chanting and yelling, he blinked several times to break the dried, crusty tears from his eyes. He felt a pain on his chest as he tried to sit up, but only fell back to the floor with a grunt. Looking around he noticed he wasn't in the house anymore, but now laying on the floor of a cage in a dimly lit room. The room smelt dank and sweaty, with the metalic smell of blood mingled in. Several others in cages caught his attention. The people inside looked broken, as if they knew their death was coming...and soon. He grew confused as the shouts gew louder and louder. Trying to sit up again, he bit his lip as his muscles tightened, trying not to cry. Why did he hurt? He thought to himself while sitting up with his arms behind him. Looking down he noticed his clothes were the same, except the front of his tunic was stitched up.

The memory of last night hit him like a punch to the face. He fell back to the floor and curled up in a ball despite the pain of his chest, gaining some looks from the others who remained quiet. Why did the man do this to him, he wondered as he brushed his fingers against the burn scar eliciting a tiny yelp from him. He was torn from his thoughts when footsteps sounded in his ears, followed by the cage's door opening.

"Get up you!" Growled a deep, rough voice with an added kick to his lower back causing the boy to yelp. Strong hands hauled him to his feet before dragging him out of the room. He caught the looks the others gave him. Looks of pity, fear, and...relief. The shouts of excitement grew stronger and stronger now as he was led to another caged room. This time, however, he could see the crowd through the caged door. Rekoj stood there looking tense. When he noticed Robin come in, he walked to the boy with a huge smile on his face as he hugged the boy. He then whispered a sentence in Robin's ear that made the boy tense and become afraid.

"Now you win so I get my money! But, if you don't kill him...I will kill you!"

Robin, with wide eyes, was then pushed forward as the caged door opened. A sword was thrust into his hands before he felt a strong kick on his back and fell forward. Hearing the door slam shut caused him to look up with the snap of his head. Above him, the crowd went wild as they formed a massive, circular mosh pit around the arena. Robin was frightened, remembering the one man killing the other in this same arena. Old brown blood stains, up close looked more frightening than his previous view as he looked around before standing up.

Suddenly he heard someone running his way, turning to see who it was ended with him recieving a blow of the hand to his head* causing him to stagger backwards. The sword in his hands fell to the ground from the strike while the audience roared with excitement. Robin quickly regained his senses and jumped backwards as he saw a young man running towards him again. He had short black hair and blue eyes similar to Robin's. Robin tried to move out of the way in time, but a kick to his side made him fly across the arena where he hit the dirt and rolled several times. He coughed as he got to his knees. His back was arched as he breathed heavily, failing to supress said coughs. Drops of blood fell from his lips and mixed with the dirt. He had bitten his tongue when he made impact with the ground.

o0o

"Oh Pookie! You're too funny!"

'Pookie?' Bruce thought, a little disturbed by the comment from the girl hanging on his arm giggling at his jokes. Except, he wasn't telling any.  
She acted like she was drunk, but they never drank anything...yet. So Bruce deduced she was just crazy. Still, he wasn't about to leave such a  
pretty albeit strange girl behind on a date, so he followed her to where she wanted to go. Apparently she said there was a secret event that she heard from others that gained a lot of attention in the underworld. How she found this information Bruce would never know. Why she was telling this to a Senator, Bruce would also never know.

He was torn from his thoughts when they stopped in front of an abandoned building. People from all over were sneaking in as if they were afraid to be seen, causing Bruce to narrow his eyes. Just what was this event? The only strange thing he knew so far was that multitudes of slaves were sold to few masters recently, making the Senators wonder. The average number of slaves entering a household was about 2 at the most. Not 10. This was his chance to look into these events.

They entered the building and then through another door that led to a small arena. The stink of sweat, blood, and filth hit his nose like a slap to the face, making him hold his breath while pulling his tunic up to his nose. Looking at others in the room, he grew confused. Were they not affected by the stench? Even his date didn't seem to mind the smell as she pulled him to edge of the arena where a wall was formed marking the front row seats, or rather, standing. Bruce looked down into the arena and was appauled by the sight. Blood stained the dirt floor and walls. Two entrances below behind caged doors made Bruce suspicious. He watched as everyone gathered around the arena, smiles on their faces. This couldn't be good, Bruce thought before one caged door opened to reveal a tall young man with short black hair and blue eyes.** His muscles bulged beneath his tunic. In his hands was a sword as he strolled about the arena, a scowl on his face. The crowd cheered loudly, making Bruce jump.

His attention was then grabbed by the other caged door opening. The crowd went wild when another buff young man was pushed through the door, a sword also present in his hands. His hair was light like the sands of the sea. He watched in horror as the two boys fought like rabid animals. Bruce eyes widened when the black haired boy suddenly jumped the other and snapped his neck, making the other fall to ground, dead. The audience shouted disapointedly, wanting blood. Bruce ground his teeth at the sight of the crowd. Men walked into the arena to congratulate the ebony, while others carried out the dead boy.

"What's going on?" Bruce asked a man standing beside him. The man turned to look at him, examining his face almost as if he recognized him. But then shrugged his shoulders, " 'tis a slave fight, a death match. The winner has the choice of becoming free or choosing a new master. The master of the winner gets all the money" the man pointed at people who waved coins in the air.

Suddenly a man talking to the boy signaled to the crowd, making everyone except Bruce cheer. "The boy wants another match. Usually they take their freedom." The man beside Bruce said while clapping his hands. Soon the doors opened again, but this time Bruce's eyes grew large. There, kneeling on the ground after he was shoved through the door was the boy he'd seen in the market. The boy he'd tried to help. The boy he thought was Wally's friend.

"This isn't right. He'll get crushed!" Bruce said, his eyes remaining on the smaller boy. "That's the best kind of match! More blood!" The man said with a laugh causing Bruce's blood to boil while staring at the man. He was ripped from his thoughts when the crowd went wild. Turning  
to look at the smaller boy, he saw him stagger a little, dropping the sword. The boy quickly jumped backwards to evade the stronger one, but  
was kicked in the side. Bruce watched as the boy flew across the arena and roll. But when the boy got to his hands and knees while coughing up blood, Bruce fisted his hands and ground his teeth at the sight. "This isn't fair!" He growled to himself while scanning his eyes around the crowd. He looked back to the boy, his heart pounding in his chest. He had to do something!

o0o

Robin, getting to his feet, backed up until he leaned against the wall. Blood ran down his chin as he tried to control his breathing, though it was unsuccessful. Watching as the boy stalked closer, eyeing him like a lion when he sees a delicious antelope, Robin did his best to gather his courage and fight back. But he just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. He wanted to be home with his parents in Ainamor, before any of this *censorship alert* happened. He wanted to die, so he be with his parents and Livia. What good would he do if he stayed in this life, everyone he loved was already dead. Ready to give up, he leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and waiting for the final blow as he heard the boy's footsteps getting closer. Suddenly, among the chants and cheers of the crowd, he heard a faint whisper in his ear.

"_dance_"

His eyes shot open.

o0o

Bruce's breath left him when he saw the boy ready to give up, he wanted to get down there and stop this match. In fact he was about to do  
something until he saw the boy's eyes fly open with a look of determination when the stronger boy was mere inches away with his sword at the ready. Suddenly the smaller boy tucked and rolled as the sword flew towards him. Bruce laughed as the boy jumped to his feet and ran to the other side of the arena where he took the stance his mother always taught him with his hands above his head. When the stronger boy spun around, he roared as he charged the smaller. Said boy had a look of anger, fear,...desperation on his face.

o0o

As the boy neared, Robin spun around to prevent the blade from peircing his flesh, but he didn't move fast enough causing him to cry out when the blade ran across his shoulder. The blood flowed down his arm as he danced out of the way of each sword swing and fist punch. He was doing quite well until he slipped on his fallen sword behind him, making him stumble backwards. The stronger boy saw his opening and grabbed the front of Robin's tunic before throwing him into the wall with a crack, followed by a punch to his chest. Right where the 'R' was. Robin screamed at the pain as tears rushed to his eyes. Before he was struck again, Robin quickly lifted his feet onto the boy's chest and pushed with all his might making them both fall to the ground. Robin then rolled away from the other.

Among all the chants of the crowd he could hear Rekoj screaming at him. He didn't know what his master was saying, but he knew it couldn't be good. Robin had an idea come to mind, so he took it. When he was far enough away from the boy, he charged the stone wall. Even as he neared it, he continued to push forward. He heard the other's pounding feet nearing him rapidly. With a final burst of energy, Robin jumped and ran up the wall a few steps before launching himself into the air, something he used to do back in Ainamor with his friends. While in mid-air, he twisted his body so he was facing the other. He then shot his knee out, hitting the stronger boy's face. No one saw that coming, not even the stronger boy who just stared at his opponent with wide eyes. When Robin's knee hit him, he tumbled sideways to the ground before rolling slightly. Blood leaked from his nose as he laid on the ground in shock, mouth hanging open. No one had ever done that to him before.

The crowd roared with excitement as Robin landed on the ground. He picked up the boy's fallen sword and held in the air for the audience to see his accomplishment. His thoughts went back to the whisper he heard. 'I did it mother!' He smiled while trying to catch his breath, wincing a few times because of the previous punch. He might have cracked a few ribs.

The chants for him to kill the other boy rang through his ears. He looked at the boy still stunned on the ground, then up at the crowd with fearful eyes. He'd never killed anyone before, and he sure as *censorship alert* wasn't going to start now.

"Kill him! KILL HIM you little piece of *censorship alert*" Robin looked at his master, whose knuckles turned white as he gripped the iron bars of the door. Robin glared at the man and threw the sword onto the ground.

o0o

Bruce was amazed by the boy's movements. He was a skilled dancer and that last move blew his mind. Who was this boy? He truly was a wonder. Watching the expression on the boy's face as he held the sword up made him smile as he clapped and cheered for the boy. However, that glorious smile changed in the blink of an eye when Bruce's keen ears picked up a growling shout.

"Kill him! KILL HIM you little piece of-" Turning his head to the spot the boy was looking at, Bruce saw a tall man in a toga with black hair and green eyes. The scowl on his face almost sent shivers down Bruce's spine. His knuckles were white from his death grip on the bars. Suddenly the audience booed, making Bruce turn to look at the boy. He had thrown the sword to the ground, a look of defiance covered his features, making Bruce grin. The other boy was starting to get up, wiping the blood from his face. He looked at the smaller boy with confusion as the younger held out his had to help him up. Bruce was amazed that this boy would show such compassion to someone who tried to kill him. He was even more amazed by their resemblance, they could have passed as brothers.

Suddenly the door swung open with an enraged man stomping into the arena, as most of the audience dispersed with grumbles of disappointment. Taking their money with them.

o0o

When Robin saw Rekoj coming his way he didn't know what to do. He had to get out of here, and fast!

o0o

To Be Continued...

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Hope you enjoyed it. Working on chapter 11 now! In which Bruce steps into the action next chapter!

I don't know how Senators ran their meetings way back then, so I just decided to do the ending...Muahahaha!

***** A blow of the hand to the head- essentially meaning a strike to the head, whether it be a punch, slap, or whatever.

Used in a story about Sclerus and Bardas Phocas, two real men who fought during a battle in the Byzantine Empire. The source I got this from was a _Chronographia_ by Michael Psellus who was a monk in this empire. This source has many stories about the emperors and others in the period in which he lived. I got a hold of this by taking a class of the history of the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine history is really quite fascinating. This empire began as the Roman Empire was starting to dissipate. It's sort of like the Roman Empire, but with a rise of Christianity. If you ever get the chance to learn more about this amazing history...DO IT!

******By my description, I hope you all realized that this is Conner/Superboy.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

Rated T: Blood

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 11**

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Previously

When Robin saw Rekoj coming his way he didn't know what to do. He had to get out of here, and fast.

o0o

Bruce's eyes narrowed when he saw the young boy's reaction. A look of terror covered his visage as he shook in place. He looked around the arena frantically, hoping to find a route of escape, before walking backwards as the man approached. The boy was about to run when the man suddenly lunged at him grabbing the boy by his hair and yanking him backwards into his chest, making the boy released a yelp. It appeared that the man was whispering something to the boy, making the child tremble with fear. Suddenly, Bruce's date dragged him out the door before he could protest, grumbling about the stupid match. He was still in a daze by the boy's terrified expression.

o0o

"Why didn't you kill him!" Rekoj seethed, looking down at the fearful boy. "This was my chance to get rich! Now look what you've done you little *censorship alert*. I guess now it's time for some fun!" He produced a wicked smile that made Robin tremble, terrified. Suddenly he was pushed downward, before a sharp knee flew into his stomach causing Robin's breath to leave him with a loud gasp. Then a fist punched him in the jaw making him fly backwards to the ground, disoriented. Rekoj stomped his foot on Robin's chest, on top of the burn scar, eliciting another scream from the boy causing Rekoj to burst out laughing. Robin's cracked ribs broke at the sudden pressure making the boy gasp sharply before letting out deep cry. Trying to curl in on himself, but was stopped when the man straddled him again and punched him in the face over and over until his nose and mouth were bleeding, before wrapping his hands tightly around Robin's neck making the boy gasp and claw at his hands with wide eyes.

Just as the boy's eyes were beginning to close and his hands became sluggish, Rekoj released his hold. He laughed at the boy's heaving breaths, trying to bring precious air back into his lungs as his arms laid limply on the ground beside him, eyes still closed.

Then, while smiling creepily, Rekoj pulled a dagger from inside his toga. He buried the blade beneath the boy's tunic, before jerking upwards causing the fabric to once again tear down the middle. Rekoj push the tip of the blade against the now exposed and still tender burn scar, making Robin clench his teeth as he tried to keep from screaming. Tears fell down his temples, making Rekoj laugh again.

"You're so adorable when your in pain..." Rekoj whispered before Robin felt a cold surface touch the center of his collarbone. With a sharp jerk, a sudden pain traveled diagonally down his chest and across the scar. More tears escaped Robin's eyes as he squeezed them shut and bit his bottom lip.

When Rekoj was done, he licked the blood from the blade with a smile. He placed the point of the blade above Robin's right hip. "You really should have just killed him. But, oh well!" With a hard push, the blade buried itself into the boy's flesh making Robin's eyes burst open as he let out a heart wrenching cry. The metal did not pierce any vital organs, but it still hurt like *censorship alert*. The now sobbing boy laid limply on the ground. He was in too much pain to even move, even when Rekoj caressed his cheek with his cold, large hand. Just as Rekoj pulled the dagger out, a sudden punch caught him off guard, knocking him the ground. A pair of strong fists repeatedly hit him in the face, accompanied with a growl.

"Y-You're too l-late..." Rekoj smiled through bloody teeth, before a final punch knocked him out.

o0o

After Bruce was pulled from the building by his date, his thoughts stayed on the boy he'd seen for the third time. He had to go back for him!  
Stopping dead in his tracks, caused his date to stop whatever crazy story she was going on about. "What is it pookie?" She asked confusedly.

"I'm going back." Bruce said, turning around towards the direction of the abandoned building. He didn't realize they'd already reached the market. "W-What! Back? What for?" She was puzzled, until something clicked. "You mean that little boy? Forget about him, he's just a slave. And he ruined a totally awesome match too." She exclaimed with a crazy laugh, causing Bruce to tense up.

"Yes!" Was all he said, taking a few steps forward. "B-But you can't! We still have a date, remember!" She ran to him and clung onto his arm. He tried to pry her off as he took a few more steps forward. "Get off me!"

"NO!" She screamed like a kid, making a scene in the market. Bruce ignored the looks he got from passersby, as he chugged forward. "I-If you  
leave...I-I'll never speak to you again! She whined until Bruce suddenly stopped. She released her grip and waited for his response.

"Goodbye then!" He stated calmly before taking off in the direction he needed to go. The cries of his ex-date disappeared as he ran. The look  
of absolute terror on the boy's face was all that he saw, driving him to run faster.

o0o

By the time he reached the abandoned building about 5 minutes had already passed. Entering the building, Bruce was met with silence, he was the only one in there. Until he heard a heart wrenching scream. Running in the direction of said scream, he entered the room with the arena. No body was insight, until he heard crying and laughing from below. Running to the edge and looking into the arena, Bruce's blood boiled. There below in the farthest corner of the arena sat a man in a toga, laughing. Beneath him were small legs, laying limply on the dirt.

Without a thought, Bruce jumped over the edge and landed gracefully on his hands and feet, before charging the man. As soon as he reached  
the two, he swung his fist, knocking the man off the boy. Bruce then straddled the man and punched him repeatedly with both fists, making the man's face bloody.

"Y-You're too l-late!" The man beneath him smiled, showing his bloody teeth. Growling, Bruce delivered one final blow, knocking the man out.  
His attention was then grabbed by small gasps of breath. He whipped around to see the small boy he'd been looking for. Fumbling as he got up, he quickly made his way over. He was shocked at the sight before him. The boy's hair was a mess. His face scrunched up in pain with a bloody nose and lip. Dried, blood trailed down his chin. Tears ran down his temples. His tunic was torn open down to his mid-stomach. His arms laid limp on both sides, his hands on either side of his neck. Blood was seeping from a large cut across his chest, the blood covered something else, but he couldn't tell what. But the worst was a puncture wound to his lower right abdomen, staining the tunic red with blood that poured from the wound and formed a puddle beneath him.

"*Censorship alert*" Bruce mumbled to himself before taking action. He ran to the man and ripped off his white toga wrap, leaving the man in a white tunic. Rushing back to the boy and gently grabbing his waist, lifted the boy's body enough to wrap the cloth around him, getting his hands bloody in the process. The small body flinched slightly at the contact, but Bruce pushed it aside as he put pressure on the wound with a balled up portion of the cloth before he continued to wrap the cloth around the boy's waist, bloody, bloody hand prints staining the cloth. The process caused the boy to whimper slightly. 'He's losing consciousness!' Bruce yelled to himself.

"Come on kid! Stay with me!" He patted the boy's cheek roughly. Blue eyes opened slightly, looking at the man. Bruce's breath hitched, 'Robin's egg blue eyes'. That's what Wally said was the defining feature of his friend.

"It's okay Robin. You're safe now!" Bruce said quietly, making Robin's eyes widen ever so slightly. "how..." the boy whispered, on the verge of falling asleep. "Wally told me. That boy, doesn't know when to shut up." Bruce laughed lightly, trying to keep Robin awake. The boy only smiled at his comment, before his eyes started to shut.

"No, Robin! You need to stay awake! Come on! Stay with me! don't fall asleep!" Bruce ordered gently while continuing to wrap the boy's chest with the rest of the cloth. "T-Tell...Wally... I s-said..." Robin couldn't finish his sentence as darkness overtook him, leaving a shocked Bruce.

"*Censorship alert*" The man growled, before lifting the boy into his arms. He was surprised by how light he was. Robin's arms and legs, as well as his head, hung in Bruce's hold as he carried the boy bridal style. They swung side to side when he ran towards the caged door that Robin's opponent, the black haired boy came from. Opening the doors, he jogged through the tunneled hallway before reaching another door. With a grumble, he opened it. How long would it take to get out, he needed to get Robin home, now!

However, when he went into the room, he saw the boy from earlier sitting in a cage, much too small for him. There were others in cages as well, a few stuck out to Bruce. A young women with slightly dark skin and long blonde hair. A young man with dark skin and white hair. And another young woman with with pale skin and red hair. The young man with dark skin and white hair stood up and looked at Bruce and the boy in his arms with a sympathetic look, before speaking in a deep, calm voice.

"Please sir, help us!" Bruce looked at the boy who was then followed by everyone else in the cages. He growled "I don't have time for this!" So he unlocked the dark boy's cage and told him to free the others, before running to find an exit. He heard the distant shout of thanks, before he found a door.

Opening it, he was hit the fresh air of the afternoon. His house was 20 minutes away, too long for the unconscious boy in his arms. He needed to find a faster way. While running, he scanned the area for something that could get him home faster. He ignored the looks he got from passersby, it wasn't uncommon to see blood in the streets, but it still drew attention. To his luck, he spotted a horse leashed to a post not far away. Bruce ran to the horse, without a care in the world if someone saw him or not. Untying the beast, he quickly got into the saddle without dropping Robin, a technique only he knew how to do.

Once situated atop the beast, he pressed Robin's back to his chest with one arm, and kicked the beast into action while grabbing the reins with the other. He was glad he was an expert horseman, or else it wouldn't have turned out so well. The horse charged forward, followed by the sound of someone behind him screaming "Thief!" But Bruce didn't care. He led the horse to his house in record time, occasionally glancing down at the boy. He was careful of the broken ribs sinking beneath his palm as he dug his hand beneath the cloth, feeling for the small heartbeat. He found it, and something else that didn't feel right. He'd check it out later. Right now he was just glad the boy was still alive, though his breathing was getting more labored with each passing minute. Finally reaching his house, Bruce jumped from the beast's back and ran up the stairs and through the door. The small body once again hanging limply in his arms.

"ALFRED" He bellowed as he placed the boy on a long couch in the guest's eating area. Brushing the boy's hair from his forehead, Bruce noticed that he looked so much younger than before. "Bruce, what's wron- oh my *censorship alert*" Wally ran out of the room, before his screams were heard from the hallway. "Alfred! Alfred!"

Not a minute later, Alfred came jogging into the room, he may have been old, but that didn't mean he couldn't do lots of stuff. "What is it Master Bru- Oh dear! What has happened!?" The older man exclaimed, looking at the sight of a bloody Bruce and child. Wally was at his side in an instant. He looked at the boy more closely.

"Robin!"

He ran to Bruce's side. "When? How? Where?" He demanded the man. "Later Wally! Alfred I need your help!" Bruce said to the older man while loosening the bloodied toga cloth from around Robin's chest. "Right Master Bruce! Master Wallace, will you please get my medical bag?" Wally was out the door in the blink of an eye. A few seconds later he was back with a medium black pouch in his arms. "Is he going to be okay?" Wally asked the men with pleading eyes. "Yes! Now go wait outside." Bruce ordered the boy.

"But-"

"NOW!" Bruce yelled, pointing to the door. Wally only huffed and glared at the man before sliding his feet towards the door. When he left, Bruce shared a glance with Alfred. "Will he be okay, sir?"

"I don't know Alfred." Bruce shook his head. The two men got to work on getting the toga off Robin's body. When that was removed, Bruce held another cloth firmly to the stab wound while Alfred took care of the other small ones. However, once the blood was washed from the cut on the boy's chest both men stared at the scar. It had a small puncture in it from the blade, causing Bruce to growl from deep inside his throat. His grip on the cloth tightened.

Alfred looked at the scar sadly. "The poor child! No one deserves this treatment!" He gestured to Robin's wounds. Alfred placed a powder he'd  
made from various herbs to stop the bleeding enough for them to clean and stitch it up. Once that was done, Bruce lifted Robin up and sat him  
forward, his head rested against his chest as it hung. The man then worked on pulling the tunic down the boy's back, but stopped at what he saw. He gasped at the sight of countless lashings covering Robin's back. They were old, the scars, a purplish red rising from his skin like  
mountains on a prairie. Bruce traced a few lines with his fingers, feeling the scar tissue made him want to gag, almost. "There has to be at least 30 lashings here. Who would do this to a child!" He growled again.

"Unfortunately, there are cruel people in this world Master Bruce."

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Voila! How you like?

Rekoj totally deserved those punches to the face, for hurting our little Robin again.

**Note:** Not sure when chapter 12 will be done, because there are 3 weeks left of college and a butt load of academic papers to write. But I promise you all this, as soon as I finish it, it will be published.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: This fanfiction is based in the era of the Roman Empire to give you all some context. Some practices from this empire may be present in this story. I created a new Empire for this story. The Gotham Empire, totally original right? Wrong! I can't claim DC Universe, or the Known World like many have done before *cough* Alexander the Great *cough* Napoleon *cough* Your face :B

**Rated T:** Tears and fluff, with a little angst.

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Sorry for the long wait! College work has been a pain in the butt with loads of papers to be written. 2 weeks left of school, oh yeah! Then I can focus on my stories all I want.

Anyway, I had slight writers block with this chapter, not sure where to take it. But after listening to some epic music *cough* Transformer's Soundtrack *cough* My brain was restored to its ADHDness and here is the result. Yayz!

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**The Changing of a Heart**

**By: Fanficer21**

**Chapter 12**

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Blue eyes opened to the sound of a bird chirping and wind rustling the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, just outside the window. They tiredly scanned the room he was in. It was large with marble walls, a large window allowed the sunlight to pour in leaving its glow on the floor and part of the bed. The bed was also large, fitting the room and rested against the wall. Looking down he noticed he was laying beneath silk sheets.

Next he noticed his body. His chest was wrapped in the whitest cloth he'd ever seen. It wrapped around his shoulder and beneath a new looking tunic. However, instead of white, this tunic was red, reminding him of the one he wore back home in Ainamor. But it was also strange, because the tunic was torn in half and then put back together with coins for buttons.

Not a sound penetrated the room, save the chirping of a little European Robin on a branch of the tree. Robin tried to sit up, but his body was stiff and sore not allowing him to move. there was a growing pain in his lower right abdomen beginning to sting. So he laid where he was agaisnt extremely soft fabric, his eyes slowly grew heavy, shutting as sleep overtook him again.

The second time he awoke, it was to the smell of something nearby. Resting on a small table beside the bed sat a tray of food. A bowl filled with what looked like a soup of some kind. He wasn't very hungry, so he just remained where he was until his body, once again, was pulled into the darkness.

Third time's the charm, as his father always joked. The third time he awoke, it was to the cold sensation of something touching his chest. He felt a hand rubbing, whatever the cold thing was, gently in circles above his heart. He groaned softly and almost fell asleep again...Wait! A hand!

Robin's eyes shot open, his body jumped slightly in the bed making the other person on the bed jump as well. He saw an older man sitting on the edge of the spacious bed, his right hand rested in the air as he looked upon the boy with wide, yet sympathetic eyes. His hair was as white as snow, slowly receding up his forehead. A well-kept white mustache rested upon his upper lip. Light blue or green eyes (not sure which, it's hard to tell)* remained upon the boy who tried to curl in on himself and away from the old man.

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The old man had come in earlier that day, bringing soup. The boy was still asleep on the large bed that swallowed his form, as Alfred entered the room. Setting the tray down, he gently brushed the bangs from the boy's forehead before leaving to attend to other matters. Wally stopped by every half hour, when taking a break from his training to check on his friend. Sometimes he would visit while Alfred was cleaning the boy's wounds. As soon as Wally saw Robin's wounds and scars, he balled his fists and clenched his jaw tight. How could people do this to his friend. He's been through more than any kid his age should ever experience. It took Alfred's calm voice to settle the angered boy down, keeping him form running the streets in search of the man who did this to him (remember, he doesn't know about Rekoj yet).

The next time Alfred came in, he noticed that the boy's position was somewhat changed, signifying that he woke up at some point. He took the tray of food back to the kitchen. When he returned, he was holding new cloth for bandages, a bowl of hot water, and a small jar of ointment made from Nettle seed.* After unbottoning the boy's tunic, the man removed the old cloth bandages before wetting a clean cloth in the bowl. Squeezing the cloth of the excess water, he then washed the areas around the previously stitched knife wounds to prevent infection. During his ministrations, the boy didn't make a single movement. Well, not until he began to apply the cool ointment onto the still raw, but healing burn, that the boy showed signs of waking up. Said boy's eyebrows furrowed, his head shifted slightly as a small groan escaped from his throat.

Suddenly the boy's eyes shot open as he stared at the man fearfully, his body tensed and jumped. He squeaked in pain while trying to curl into the fetal position after quickly turning onto his side and dragging the white silken sheet to cover his chest. His arms crossing against his chest, while his stab wound and ribs throbbed painfully. But he didn't know what else to do except to keep this man away from him. Alfred sighed at the sight before placing the jar of ointment onto the floor.

"Master Robin! It is alright, there is no need to be afraid." He said softly, attempting to calm the boy. However, Robin just looked at him like a wounded animal, untrusting. The older man leaned forward slowly to place a hand on the boy's shoulder, but stopped immediately when Robin flinched. The boy shut his eyes tightly while clenching his teeth, soft moans leaving his throat as he shook in place from the pain. Tears fell from his closed eyes, his stab wound felt like it was tearing open.

"Please child! I mean you no harm! Let me help you!" Alfred fretted as he leaned forward again. "No!" Robin barked sharply through the tears, curling up even further, once again stopping the man. "S-Stay away!"

Alfred released a sigh before leaning down to pick up the jar of ointment, before standing up. He placed it upon the stand beside the bed. "Rub this on your chest when every few hours to alleviate the pain." He put his hand on his own chest, above his heart to show the boy what he meant. The boy, however, continued to stare at him with an animalistic glare. He wouldn't let anyone near him. Taking the bowl of water and cloth, Alfred exited the room.

Robin's eyes remained on the doorway a few moments longer to make sure he wouldn't be coming back. He then, relaxed a little when all was quiet, save more chirping from the European Robin. Uncurling himself, he looked at his chest and stomach. His stab wound and long cut had been stitched up, very good stitching. He thought as he ran his finger along the imbeded horse hair, before inspecting his burn scar. It was still tender, causing him to cringe as he bit his lip, even though it had already been...wait, how long was he in bed for?

He felt bad for acting mean to the old man, he seemed nice. But he just couldn't trust anyone, not after he was broken by his last masters. He didn't want to trust people anymore, because they would only hurt him again.

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Robin remained in bed for about a week. His body was healing nicely, but his wounds were still tender. His burn scar was soon coated with scar tissue, like his back. And the more his body healed, the more he became coherent of his surroundings. He became figity in bed and wanted to move around, and find out where he was being held. Was he in another master's household that would beat him at the slightest mistake? Or was he just dreaming? Pinching himself, he now knew this wasn't a dream. Sliding to the edge of the bed, he slowly put his bare feet to the cool marble floor before standing up, straightening his buttoned up tunic, He then made his way to the doorway, slowly as to not draw attention.

Robin left the room to investigate the interior of the house. Quietly tip toeing down the hallway, he stopped at every sound he heard, and looked around frantically to make sure no one was in sight. Once he saw he was in the clear, he continued down the red carpet. It was velvety beneath his feet. Soon he reached a large room, looking inside he noticed that it resembled a kitchen of some sort, a really big kitchen. A large hearth with a large flame rolling inside caused him to freeze, remembering what Rekoj had done in his kitchen sent shivers down his spine. He quickly made his way out of the room and continued his personal tour.

Soon he entered another large room, but this one was empty, nothing but the marble walls caught his attention. Scratch that. When he walked a little further in the room, he noticed something hanging on the wall in the far corner, beside a small table with a vase. Getting closer he saw it was a tapestry with two people on it. A man and a woman, they were hugging eachother while staring at him. Robin started to feel uncomfortable beneath their eternal gaze. But noticed that they looked...happy. The memory of his mother and father kissing in the kitchen when he was 8 years old played in his mind, causing tears to form in the corners of his eyes.

Turning slightly, he was about to head for the door, until he noticed a figure standing in the doorway from the corner of his eye. Slowly turning his head to face the person, he stiffened when he realized it was the man he'd seen at the market twice. They stared at each other, though Robin was backing up slowly.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you." The man said as he took a step into the room. '_Sure you're not!_' Robin thought as he took another step back, his skeptic eyes never leaving the muscular man on the other side of the room. "I-I'm not afraid of you!" Robin bluffed, hoping to get the man to leave. Unsuccessful.

Bruce heard the boy's bluff, but he kept walking forward, his eyes trained on the scared teen in front of him as he continued to walk backwards. He noticed the boy was getting closer to the table with the expensive vase, but he didn't say anything.

'What does this guy want?' Robin frantically asked himself, remembering Rekoj's tortures and Antonius's beatings. Suddenly he felt something touch his lower back, making him jump. A loud crash followed after the vase hit the floor, shattered pieces going everywhere behind him. Robin knew what was coming, so he ducked his head and shut his eyes tight when the man was a few feet away. He waited for the strike that never came. Opening his eyes shyly, he saw the man standing there, just standing. A look of deep thought on his face, and a slight touch of pity.

"Don't be afraid." The man repeated stoiclly. "I-I'm not." Robin said quietly, but flinched when the man's hand shot up before holding it in place. "Yes! You are." Said man repeated, before lowering his hand. Bruce had raised his hand to prove his point that the boy was afraid of him, but he was impressed by the boy's stubborness.

The boy was about to take another step back, when Bruce saw the shard of broken vase he was going to step on with his bare feet. Acting quickly, he launced forwards, despite the boy's body stiffening, and grabbed his shoulers before yanking him towards him. Robin was stunned at first, but once his mind caught up with him he struggled in the man's hold. Twisting his body this way and that which caused him pain, but he was terrified of what this man wasgoing to do to him.

Bruce just watched the boy sympathetically. A person should never be terrified of others, especially one so young. It just wasn't right. However, Bruce wasn't the kind of person to share his emotions and feelings, he knew little about comforting others. But he did remember how his parents used to comfort him. Following their example, he pulled the boy to his chest, before wrapping his arms tightly around Robin's upper back, his face buried in Bruce's toga. He then felt the boy's struggles become more intense.

"Shhh! It's ok. It's ok." The man said quietly, tightening his hold on the boy. Tears threatened to escape Robin's eyes, but he wouldn't allow them to come out. Especially when the man's quiet soothing sounded just like his father's, not to mention the strong comforting arms. He put his hands against the man's waist and tried to push himself out of the strong arms. Said arms only tightened more.

"You'll open your wounds if you keep fighting it." Bruce said a little roughly, making Robin jump slightly in his arms. It wasn't until his next move that broke Robin's reluctant hold on his tears. Bruce sighed before he relaxed one arm as he brought his hand up to the boy's head, lacing his fingers into the ebonly locks. He suddenly felt small hands grip parts of his toga as the small body began to shake. Short whimpers were mumbled by the fabric, but soon turned into sobs when the dam holding Robin's pent up anger, fear, and sadness broke. He wailed into Bruce's chest, tears cascading down his cheeks. His legs soon gave out, making him fall limp in Bruce's arms. Bruce silently dragged the boy away from the shattered vase, before lowering himself to his knees on the marble floor. The little body in his arms remained limp, Robin's legs rested on the floor as his eyes began to grow heavy, his face still pressed to the man's chest.

10 minutes later, small hiccups worked their way out of the boy, his body convulsed slightly with each squeak. Eyelids fluttered open and closed several times before finally staying closed. Tear stains lined Robin's small red cheeks and coated his eyelids, his eyelashes were covered in little droplets. Robin's breathing quickly fell into a rhythmic pattern when darkness wrapped its cloak of slumber around him. When Bruce noticed the boy was asleep, he carefully hooked an arm beneath Robin's knees, while the other looped around his shoulders. Gently standing up, he held the boy bridal style. Robin's head rested against the crook of his neck. Bruce could feel the tear soaked lashes on his skin, before slowly getting ready to leave the room. But before leaving, he looked at the tapestry on the wall with a pained expression. Looking into his parents eyes he felt a small stirring in his heart, which grew stronger when he looked down at the slumbering child. It almost felt, dare he think it?

Parental. Especially after hearing about his parents' deaths from Wally.

Looking at his parents one last time, he made his exit. Back down the hall, across the velvety red carpet, and back into the room. Bruce carefully pulled the silk sheets back before gently bending down as he laid the boy on the bed. Leaning back up, he noticed he couldn't go far. Not with small hands tightly gripping his toga. Bruce wrapped his hands around the little ones, marveling at the size difference before prying them open to release the fabric. He stopped suddenly when Robin shifted in his sleep, a short groan escaped his throat.

'_One down_' Bruce thought as he finished open one hand. He moved to the next, and did the same, until both hands were resting on the bed beside the boy. Memories of his parents continued to play in his mind as Bruce tried to think of what comes next. Suddenly a mental picture of his mother kissing his forehead entered his mind. So leaning down slowly, the man copied the mental image. When he was mere inches from the boy's face, he felt a blush of embarrassment. He was a Senator, a tough guy, he wasn't used to tenderness and affection. So he debated whether or not to continue.

'_Agh! Screw it_!' He thought as he pecked the boy's forehead with his lips before bolting upright off the bed, and left the room, but not until after laying the silk sheets over the boy again. This was going to take some getting used to.

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*I am describing the Alfred Pennyworth from the 1960's TV show.

* Nettle was used in Ancient Roman ointments to soothe pain and inflammation. Pedanius Dioscorides, a surgeon in the Ancient Roman army who used various herbs to help his patients.

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Ok, so I don't know if Ancient Romans used beds or blankets or whatever. At this point I just have one thing to say! Writer's privilege! Haha!

Do y'all like it!

No flames please!


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